Jennifer Rees (Letters, 11 February) is correct in saying Lancashire hotpot is not a stew but wrong about tagines. The tagine is designed to be used on top of a stove or fire to simmer the contents. The purpose of the conical lid is to allow steam to condense and return to the stew. The hollow at the top of the lid is intended to hold cold water to encourage this. So a tagine, made properly, is definitely a stew.
Jim Watson
Selsley, Gloucestershire
• “Eat me!” says the headline on your long read (Journal, 13 February), next to a composite illustration of processed foods, which includes a tub of Flutter Butter. Flutter Butter is a flavoured peanut-butter bird food for hanging outside on the bird feeder. The blue tits love it. I haven’t tried it.
Rev C Mary Austin
Tibberton, Shropshire
• January used to be brightened by the primeval and persistent early morning drumming of a greater spotted woodpecker. Since last summer’s heatwave and the felling of a nearby tree, I neither see nor hear it any longer. This is real grief.
Elaine Steane
Oxford
• In response to the article in G2 (Why English culture is cool again, 12 February) does references to “peng” and “pengest munch” mean that, finally, this little corner of south-east London is reaching peak cool?
Sue Fisher
Penge, London (Penge-a-la-mer to give it its full title)
• Oh what a tragedy is the early death of Sue Townsend. How we all would have loved reading Adrian Mole: The Marmalade-Making Years (Letters, 11 February).
Gill Wood
Aylsham, Norfolk
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